THE IRIDEUS The Newsletter of the Grizzly Peak Fly Fishers Based in Kensington, Serving the East Bay & Environs since 1982
jun
‘20 GPFF.ORG
CLUB MEETINGS 3 Stillwater Flies
The Pit River
By Bob Fabini
By Michael Malekos
Online Zoom Meetings Every second Wednesday No meeting in July Due to COVID-19 Concerns, Meetings will be conducted online in Zoom Business Meeting - 7:00pm
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FEATURES
Departments
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03 Urgent trout in the classroom update
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the risks of fishing with a guide during the pandemic three stillwater flies
03 BOARD 04 CALENDAR 05 Zoom Primer
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fishing the lower sac
06 Conservation Conversation
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the pit river
08 news, notes & random casts 09 Fishing Throwbacks 13
gpff battle creek outing
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Urgent Trout in the Classroom update
By Dave Garfin
The 2020 Trout in the Classroom program has been cancelled and put on hold until next year. And there is not a damned thing we can do about it. To put this in terms fly fishers can understand: we are in an unproductive dead-drift situation in which no amount of mending is helpful – if, indeed, any mending is possible. The future of the program depends on decisions made at high levels: the state, the county, the school boards, and Fish and Wildlife. It’s anyone’s guess as to what will happen for 2021. It all depends on the severity of Corona virus infections in our area. With schools closed and teachers having only very limited access to their classrooms, the club’s main financial assets, 32 fully-outfitted aquaria are locked in schools or in a limited number of coach’s homes. There was not enough time for all of our teachers to take their aquaria from their classrooms and for coaches to collect them for storage. Keep your fingers crossed that the tanks remain safe. I had thought that I had gotten us to a point where there should be little equipment expense next year. Just about all of our old, worn out equipment was replaced or repaired (by John Davis) and there are sufficient back-up items. With luck, we won’t have to replace too many things. Let’s all hope for the best. On a happier note, our teacher at Head-Royce School in Oakland, Barry Turner, got a nice article published in the school’s alumni magazine. The article describes the program and gives credit to GPFF and heaps praise on the stalwart coach for Head-Royce, Stuart Engle. I am trying to get an electronic copy of the article with permission to distribute it to all of you who are interested.
Executive Board OFFICERS
Brad Gee President
Eric Larson Secretary
Mike Lippman Treasurer
PROGRAM CHAIRS & BOARD MEMBERS
Josh Genser
Julie Haselden
Mark Likos
Douglas Hale
Dave Garfin
Zachary Wong
Bob Fabini
Mike Leong
Program Chair
Education Chair Trout in the Classroom
Conservation Chair Newsletter Newsletter
Membership
Membership
NON-BOARD CHAIRS
Lee Hahn Webmaster
Bob Marshak
Todd Pond
Librarian
Outings Coordinator THE IRIDEUS
Douglas Hale Content Editor
Zachary Wong Design Editor
PHOTO CONTRUBITORS THIS MONTH
Cover...........................Rebecca Blair, North Platt River, WY Table of Contents........................................... Zachary Wong Calendar......................................................... Zachary Wong Editor............................................................... Douglas Hale Conservation.................................................. Julie Haselden Fishing Throwbacks............................................ Archive.org GPFF Battle Creek Outing................................. Josh Genser 3 Stillwater Flies.................................................. Bob Fabini Lower Sac......................................................Jason Thatcher Pit River.................................................... Michael Malekoff
I will let you know when I learn more.
We are always looking for photos! Submit your photos to Zachary Wong at craigwong810@gmail.com or Doug Hale at drhale@gmail.com
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Upcoming Events June 1
Foundational Fly Tying Class - Online
June 10
June Club Meeting - Online on Zoom
July 6
Owahee River, OR - Outing (Pending)
Past Events May 21
Todd Pond Talks - Upper Walker River
May 13
May GPFF Zoom meeting - Michael Wier on the Truckee or American Rivers
April 24
Deer Creek Outing - Event Cancelled
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Your Primer to Gettinng onto Zoom With COVID-19 cancelling spring events left and right and keeping us cooped up in our homes, Grizzly Peak Fly Fishers is going to move ahead and continue its meetings to bring you, our members, the best possible programming. For some, Zoom is an already essential part of your workplace but for the rest of us, Zoom might as well be a book written in a foreign language. Here’s GPFF’s handy-dandy guide to getting onto our meetings for the time being and soon you’ll be able to see old friends and forget about the worries of the world for one evening. Step 1: You will receive by email a link to that month’s meeting. Make sure you save this email or star it or add it into your calendar. On the day of, be sure to click on the link. It will take you to a landing page on zoom’s website.
Step 2: This is what you should see. If you haven’t downloaded zoom, hit “download & run Zoom” If you get the popup above, hit Open Zoom. Zoom will automatically open up in its own window.
Step 3: You should see this screen now that zoom is open. If you are unsure you can hear or concerned your microphone isn’t working, click on Test Speaker and Microphone. When ready, click Join with Computer audio. If this is too daunting for some, or if you have a slow internet connection, click under phone call and it will provide a list of toll-free dial in numbers for your use.
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C
onservation onversation
support the value of healthy fish and a healthy planet. Our SF Bay Area offers many opportunities to GET OUT and enjoy! A trip to walk among the redwoods, a cool relief on a hot day – or any day – is yours for free. Visit Redwood Regional Park in Oakland. While you are there, with a bandanna or mask, stop by the Redwood Creek Fish Ladder. I have
With Julie Ruth Haselden
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ello out there! I am looking forward to more creek and river restoration projects when we are able! Hope you will join me when new work parties are posted. Working for free, toward a beneficial goal, feels good! Though we are unable to congregate and pitch in, there are lots of people working non-stop to protect our wetlands, wildlife habitats, and fish! GRATITUDE to Dr. Mark Rockwell, D.C. (President & VP Conservation, Northern Calif. Council, Fly Fishers International) for his tireless support and actions on our behalf. Big time GRATITUDE to Susan Schwartz (Friends of Five Creeks) for her constant efforts to protect our local Codornices Creek and her positive activism for the benefit of our world. GRATITUDE to the supporters and protectors of Bristol Bay, one of the world’s last great salmon fisheries, who are fighting the proposed Pebble Mine. GRATITUDE to the people who have worked to remove obsolete dams on the Klamath River, opening over 400 miles for salmon to return and spawn. There are lots of conservation heroes. Please support them by voting for candidates who recognize and
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seen 16” to 18” native trout working their way up this creek to spawn. The creek is mostly dry now, but a wonderful destination. Our Bay Trail offers fly fishing opportunities! There is excellent access to a bay within The Bay between Berkeley’s Gilman and University. I chatted with a happy fly fisher there in a float tube. Check tides –
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you will want to go out at high tide. Finally! Fly fishing trips are coming up! Remember to KEEP EM WET and release your fish to swim another day. Please send me photos of your Keep Em Wet catches! (jhaselden17@comcast.net) We will share your photos and offer prizes at our annual GPFF Holiday Dinner. (Plus, I really want to see your healthy fish and your KEW skills!)
California Sate Historical Landmark 970 - Where Rainbow Trout Species was first identified.
Some scenes on the bay trail, fly fishermen, kayaks and complete with steep hills! - Photos by the Author
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News, Notes & Random Casts Tim Howe update
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s some of you know Tim Howe was hospitalized during the last part of April with a severe internal infection. He was transferred on May 2 to a Danville skilled nursing facility. Tim says he will likely remain there through June. Although he has lost 25 pounds, is weak and has had to cancel several fishing trips, there is good news. He has just been cleared to walk the facility’s corridors without assistance. No more walker! He is able to read, text, take phone calls and take care of himself. Despite everything he is in good spirits, but hearing from friends is good for his morale. Tim can be reached at 510435.6654 or Timgh88@yahoo.com. GPFF’s All new 24/7 Online Fly Tying Course By Mark Likos - Education Chair
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s you may know by now Grizzly Peak Fly Fishers has added to their Foundational Educational Series with the On-Line Foundational Fly Tying Seminar. This is NOT your typical meet on Thursday evening class. It was designed to meet the needs of club members during and after this terrible pandemic challenge we are currently working
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through. I’m VERY proud of the Grizzly Peak Board for stepping up to invest in what may be the new normal of future classes. Some clubs have just shut-down during this pandemic hoping to return to the old normal when the health threats are behind us. I’m not sure we will ever return to the pre-pandemic normal, it’s a rapidly changing world and your Grizzly Peak Board wants to emerge from the challenges showing leadership that continues to engage their membership in safe activities. From what we are learning and will still learn about virus (and other health challenges), there may be a new normal or revised standard regarding social interaction in class meetings, etc. We feel our on-line approach to this new Fly Tying Class is a step in the right direction. Thankyou Grizzly Peak Board for investing in our future and NOT waiting for others to do it for them. Go to this link at the web site to read all about the option for the class: https://grizzlypeakflyfishers.org/page1533004
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FISHING THROWBACKS
This month’s fishing throwback is a selection of diagrams from “Practical Dry-Fly Fishing” written by Emlyn M. Gill, published by Scribner’s & Sons back in 1912. Even at this time in history, books on fly fishing were incorporating diagrams on how to cast in different water, how the lines drift and the dangers of unnatural draft would make your fly look like no insect that a trout would ever eat.
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The Risks of Fishing with a Guide During the Pandemic: What Guides are Proposing for Safety By: Kirston Koths Phd, virology
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utfitters I respect have recently posted their guidelines for opening guided fishing trips. IMO, their protocols should greatly reduce, but not eliminate, the risk of getting infected by the virus causing Covid-19. As a person with very high risk of dying from this infection, I am waiting to take guided trips until a vaccine (which may arrive by early next year) has been widely distributed. Your risk factors and risk tolerance may differ, but I am only taking camping trips or day trips with my co-inhabitants as of now. One loophole in any outfitter’s safety protocol is the inevitable compliance issue, with some young “invincible” guides being a potential weak link in any proposed safety plan. Travel in guide shuttles also increases risk, as does staying in lodging. Aerosol transmission remains the most likely
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way anglers will become infected, and I note that even the Buff company website states that their product does not block aerosols. Reproduced below, is what Guides and outfitters plan for their safety at this time. Fly Water Travel (Nor-Cal & Southern Oregon & More) • Goals: Maximize guest, staff, and public safety. It should be firmly noted that these protocols are established to minimize – not eliminate – the chance of exposure to COVID-19. All destination travel will entail risk. Staff and participants may be exposed to known and unknown hazards. • Upon Arrival: The operator will inquire
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•
•
•
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regarding clients’ health (fever, cough, etc) and question their health history (positive tests or quarantine in the past). If there is a question about the health of the traveler the operator will reserve the right to deny entry to the lodge or camp. Transportation: Shuttle drivers and guides will incorporate safety protocols, including masks, wipes, hand sanitizer, and cleaning of hotspots upon entering and exiting vehicles. On the Water: It is mandatory for the guides and guests to wear a protective face mask at all times on the water. Rod grips and reels will be wiped down before and after every trip at a minimum. If the guide uses the rod, he or she will wipe down again before giving back to the guests. Guests are encouraged to bring their own equipment if possible. This same protocol applies to all gear the guest and guides touch: boat seats, PFD’s, oars, landing net, etc. Guides must carry a form of hand sanitizer (wipes or liquid) and have it readily available in the boat for use. Guide and guests are encouraged to use it frequently. Guests will be given a verbal warning about the use of saliva to assist in tightening knots on the leader and to avoid touching the fly, leader, knots, etc., if possible. At the Lodge or in Camp: Single accommodations will be used if possible. If this is not possible, guests should consider only rooming with other guests in their pre-trip group. The lodge or camp will be set up with social distancing in mind. This will include mealtimes, where staff and customers will maintain appropriate distances at separate tables whenever possible. Food and Beverage Handling: Customers can expect that staff will be wearing gloves and masks when preparing and handling food and beverages.
Hogan Brown, Northern CA guide. • I ask that anyone who books a trip be healthy and have not been exposed to anyone that is sick or has been heavily exposed. • Clients can cancel at any time without penalty if they are not feeling well, feel they have been exposed, or are not comfortable with coming or traveling. • I will not be providing lunch, I will ask that clients provide their own lunches. • Water will be provided in disposable water bottles. While this pains me, I think it is the safest thing and is the recommended thing to do. • I will sterilize all gear and my boat everyday based on recommendations. • Hand sanitizer will be provided in the boat for clients to use. • Face covers in the form of “Buffs” is recommended but not required, and if it makes clients more comfortable I am OK wearing my own N95 mask. • Clients will be met at boat ramps and not transported in my vehicle (short rides from meeting spots will be an exception on drift trips) from hotel/motel with drift boat trips shuttles are TBD. • I will be offering half day, full day, and evening trips with flexible meeting times to allow for same day travel. Yellow Dog Outfitters (worldwide)
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hen the time comes to get back on the water, how can we do it in a way that is safe and respectful to those concerned about the continued spread of COVID-19? At Yellow Dog we’ve looked to our partners whose livelihoods depend on getting back on the water. Here are some of just a few of the examples our what our western U.S. partners will be doing to reduce the spread and protect anglers and guests as soon as we are able to get back to a life spent fly
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fishing. Increased Hand Washing Stations. Most of our lodges and fly shops have increased their available hand washing stations. Glacier Anglers, outside of Glacier National Park, has said the following: “throughout our complex and facilities, are hand washing and sanitation stations, as well as hand washing stations located in camp during each of our multi-day trips.” Our Partner Lodges are Committed to Keeping Clean. All of Yellow Dog’s partner lodges have assured us that there is nothing more important to them than the health and safety of their guests and staff. Housekeepers, food and beverage employees, administration staff, and all other staff will be following all CDC guidelines to ensure healthy lodging environments for all guests and employees. Our Overnight Float Trips Taking Cleanliness to a New Level. Jake Wells, Yellow Dog’s multi-day float trips expert says, “Sanitation on our overnight float trips will be a major focus. Our outfitters run meticulous clean camps to begin with so sanitation is very important. They have all added extra hand sanitizing protocols, upon setting-up and striking camp all gear will be cleaned and sanitized, and guides and camp staff will be properly educated and follow all CDC guidelines.” Fishing Guides Adding Sanitation Protocols on Trips. Our fly fishing guides know people will want to go fishing soon. When that happens, our partner lodges and outfitters have been hard at work training fishing guides to reduce the risk of transmission. They are being trained to have anti-bacterial wipes in their vehicles and boats for wiping down nets, oars, rods, handles, steering wheels, gas pumps, etc. and to have additional wipes for their anglers. Guides will be wiping down boats and gear before and after each trip and during the day and ensure hand sanitizer is available at all times. During set-up of the rods and demonstrating casting or fishing techniques, guides will sanitize
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hands and gear. They will be taught the proper way to minimizing the risk of co-mingling air, such as sneezing or coughing downwind and sneezing or coughing into one’s own arm. Increased Communication About New Cleaning Protocols. COVID-19 is not going to escape our daily lives this angling season. But by having open and honest conversations about the necessary precautions means anglers, guides, lodge and camp staff, can all relax and enjoy going fishing. Good judgement is crucial for everyone. Here’s what you can expect for a guided fishing trip in the near future: • Cover up as best as possible. Buffs, sunmasks, gloves, hats, and glasses are all essential. • Hugs will resume when this is all over. Air high fives, hang-tens, air-guitar riffs, and the like will be the new normal for awhile. • If at all possible clients will be encouraged to travel in their own vehicles to and from fishing each day. • During the rigging-up and breaking-down of gear, either guides or anglers will do this, but not both. • Once flies are tied-on they will go directly into the water, not back to the angler. • Vehicle shuttle companies—the drivers who move the guides’ rigs while fishing all day— will be sanitizing door handles and steering wheels before and after each shuttle. • Trips may depart at various times throughout the day to avoid peak rush times at fly shops or boat ramps. • Communication about these new protocols will be key. From who is taking the picture of a nice fish to bringing your own water bottle, we are all in this together so prior planning and communication is crucial so we can all ensure we can stay on the water once we can get back on the water.
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GPFF Battle Creek Outing! 0 August 28-3
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uck and Covid-19 willing, Grizzly Peak Fly Fishers Club will have an outing to the South Fork of Battle Creek on August 2830. This is a remarkable trip and one that every member should attend at least once. Why?
on a Dragontail Tenkara rod with a Chubby Chernobyl fly. 3. This outing is the Club’s only fundraiser. Sure it costs $200 to go, but all of that money goes to the Club and funds its expenses, like speakers at our monthly meetings and other outings, if we get to resume them. 4. Josh & Elaina’s place is entirely off the grid: no internet and no cell phone service. (It’s not difficult to connect cell phone service in an emergency.) It’s astonishingly refreshing to be disconnected for a few days. 5. The hospitality and comradery are fantastic! The cabin has running water, a flush toilet and a hot shower. The food is excellent and, as always when Josh in around, there is a variety of fine whiskies. There is also much to do besides fishing, including target and trap shooting, hiking, and nothing, at all. So, please sign up on the web site, and we hope to see you in person in August.
1. We will have access to two miles of private water. I know that California is filled with scenic rivers, but it’s also filled with fishers, so it can be difficult to find a place to enjoy the serenity of nature and to actually catch fish. Most of the South Fork of Battle Creek is bordered by private land, inaccessible to the public, so you can find a pool all to yourself just teeming with trout who haven’t yet learned that a prince nymph isn’t food. 2. For a small river the trout can get pretty big. Certainly, your fly can be taken by trout so small that they fly at you when you set your hook, but there are also fish as large as 18”, like the one in the photo below, caught on May 23 by one of your hosts, Elaina Genser,
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Three Stillwater Flies By Bob Fabini
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s I’ve gotten older, I don’t wade with the same ferocity I used to. I still wade rivers—I just go swimming more often. I had two unplanned, but refreshing dips last season. Another alternative is to fish stillwaters from solid ground, or from some floating device, although unplanned swims can occur in these circumstances also. For a seasoned river angler, stillwaters can be intimidating or confusing. Fish are no longer delivered food on the conveyer belt of the current. Instead, they cruise hunting for food. This is especially true for trout. Finding fish is more problematic for the angler— holding water doesn’t exist in the same sense. When there is no obvious hatch occurring, one of the fastest ways to find stillwater fish, is to fish actively, covering lots of water. In this article, I will be touching on flies that are good introductory flies for this tactic, whether fishing cold water or warm water lakes. These flies are rarely available commercially, in spite of their utility. They are also good flies for beginning to intermediate tiers, and two of them use peacock herl, in my opinion, a magical material. Stillwaters usually harbor mayflies (callibaetis, for instance), caddis, and midges,
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just like a river. No stoneflies; however. In addition, you will find damsel flies, dragon flies, scuds, and small bait fish. All these items, except scuds, are usually present in every fishable stillwater, and they are all very active. The flies in this article are flies you can fish actively to help you find fish in stillwaters. Each of these flies is really just a basic pattern which one can vary as it suits the angler. One is familiar, the Wooly Bugger. I will be illustrating a peacock-bodied version, which is my favorite. The Carey Special is a Northwestern pattern seldom seen in California. I will show the peacock version, although it can be tied with a wool, dubbed, or chenille body. The third fly, and the first we will discuss is the Grey Nymph. All of these flies can be tied plain or with a bead. On my stillwater flies I usually use brass beads. I most often use tungsten for moving water. I have; however, found that a tungsten-beaded pheasant tail in #16 or #18 is highly productive at Manzanita Lake in mid-summer, especially when fished in a rising manner. The Grey Nymph
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his is a fly I learned about as a beginning fly fisher. It is an incredibly simple
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pattern, and it is the first fly we tie in my Flytying class at FishFirst. I have used it for years in all kinds of waters with good success, but it shines in stillwaters. I tie it thin generally; however, it can be bulked up with more dubbing.
Hook: Any 2x long or 3x long hook from #14 #6. #14- #10 are trouty. Bigger for bass. Thread: 6/0 Black Tail and hackle: Grizzly hen hackle Body: Muskrat fur dubbing including the guard hairs. I think that fish frequently take the thinly tied version as a damsel nymph. A fatter version would give a good imitation of a dragon nymph. Body and hackle color adjustments are worth considering. The Carey Special
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first heard about this fly when I was fishing in the Bend, Oregon area as a teenager. It is frequently tied with other materials, but still called a Carey Special. It reminds me of the story of George Washington’s hatchet. The handle’s been changed three times and the head twice, but it’s still George’s hatchet. I tie it exclusively as follows:
Hook: Any 2x or 3x long hook from #10 to #6, most commonly a #8 Thread: Black or dark brown. Tail and hackle: Natural or Olive Pheasant rump feather, tied long. Body: Peacock herl. I tie this using several strands of herl reinforced by tying thread to make a very durable body. At the beginning of a future meeting, I will be demonstrating this reinforcing technique for use with delicate materials, including marabou and filoplume. Ribbing: Optional gold wire counter-wrapped. Often wire is added for durability, but is not needed with the thread-reinforced body. It looks nice, though, so you can use it if you like. I think it’s likely that fish take this fly as a dragon nymph, but who knows what actually lurks in the minds of fish. Maybe it simply looks edible, so what do they have to lose? Oops! The Peacock Wooly Bugger
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ooly Buggers are tied in a zillion different ways, and they all catch fish. I carry black, brown, and olive, all with chenille bodies, plus the peacock version. A yellow chenille body and yellow marabou tail with Grizzly hackle can be good for bass. Also crawdaddy colors can be productive. Olive and rust--not red. They turn that color after you cook them.
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During those periods simple buggy looking flies with lots of action work fine. They can be taken for many different kinds of bugs or baitfish, so pattern selection is less complicated. Tactics
W Hook: Any 2x or 3x long hook from #10 to #6, most commonly a #8 Thread: Black or dark olive. Tail: Mottled olive turkey marabou tied at least equal in length to the body of the fly. It’s hard to get the right color sometimes, so feel free to mix mottled natural and plain olive. 2-4 strands of Krystal Flash add a nice touch. Body: Reinforced peacock herl as in the Carey Special. Hackle: Palmered saddle hackle. I use either grizzly or dark ginger grizzly. Dyed olive grizzly is also fine. Feel the freedom of the wind in your hair when you choose the color-don’t stress. I’ve used many colors. They all worked. Ribbing: Fine gold wire counter-wrapped after wrapping the hackle. You will notice that 2 of these flies consist only of tail, body, and hackle. Although I can tie some pretty fancy flies, for actual fishing, I prefer simple. Sometimes people call them “guide flies.” I am a firm believer that the important factors are presentation, size, structure, and color, in that order. Simple flies meet those requirements as well as complicated ones most of the time. Plus, fewer tears are shed when you lose a fly you tied in 3 minutes, compared to one that took 30 minutes. Also, an awful lot of fishing time does not involve matching a hatch.
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hen you first approach a stillwater during non-hatch times, think about the needs of the fish: safety, temperature, oxygen, and food. These needs are usually satisfied by water that is relatively shallow (maybe 2-10 feet deep) with some structure to provide both safety and a food source. Weed beds, sunken brush and logs are pretty dependable spots. Also, watch for moving structure like foam lines. If bass are the quarry, they tend to stay in a small area, and they defend that territory. Largemouth, especially, are ambush predators who lie in wait for a meal. Ironically, this is similar to trout in a river, who wait for the current to deliver food. In my experience, trout are less territorial in stillwaters and often cruise for food. So while that old largemouth may always be by the same stump, a large predatory trout is often on the move. That’s why active fishing—covering lots of water can be productive, and that’s what these three flies are all about. Effective tactics are related to your mode of transport. You might be walking the shore of a reservoir looking for bass, or wading the shoreline of a lake hunting trout. You might be in a float-tube, pram, or canoe. From shore you are fishing from deep to shallow—this is effective for imitating damsel nymphs migrating to shore in the spring. If wading, you can fish parallel to shore—this is perfect for imitating dragon fly nymphs on the
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hunt, or tiny baitfish feeding, but staying away from deeper water where the predators hunt. If you are in a watercraft, you have many more options. A float tube is perfect for trolling a fly, and these three flies are good candidates. If I’m moving from place to place on the water, I often troll during my journey. It can be a great way to find a concentration of fish—then stop and cast. A float tube is also perfect for maintaining your position in the wind while still having your hands free to fish. Canoes, kayaks, and prams can be a real pain unless you double anchor. They are; however, great for drifting and casting. Two people drifting with the wind, casting to opposite sides, can cover a 100 foot-wide section of lake. That’s presenting flies to lots of fish. Hang a small bucket (the technical term is drogue) off the stern as you drift—it will keep your craft in a constant orientation relative to the wind direction.
I hope this quick introduction to flies and tactics whets your appetite for trying stillwater fishing if you have not already done so. If you want more information, I would recommend Fly Fishing California Stillwaters by Bill Sunderland, Stillwater Fly Fishing Secrets by Hal Janssen, and any of Denny Rickards books. You also might try that internet thingy. Finally, I’ve observed something very interesting over the years as I have fished stillwaters. The folks in boats are all casting as close as they can to shore, while the shore anglers are casting out into the lake as far as they can. Hmmmm.
Another tactic is to use a trailing fly behind one of these three flies. A small nymph, scud, or midge pattern 1-2 feet behind can work wonders. Fish notice the big fly, but take the smaller one. If you do this, connect them with clinch knots at each end, but use a lighter tippet for the small fly. If you snag up, you’re likely to lose only one fly rather than 2. For starting out, you probably have the rods and reels you need. 4-6wts are typical. More important are fly lines. If float tubing, I carry 2 rods—one with a floating line, and one with an intermediate line. Once in a while, a fast sinking line is useful, but fish that are in deep water often aren’t very interested in eating. The floating line works well for dry flies and rising presentations, or when fishing from shore in shallow water. The intermediate will keep your fly at about the same depth for most of the retrieve—just count down to the depth you want.
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fishing the lower sac with jason thatcher
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ason Thatcher will be speaking to us at our June 10 ZOOM meeting about a rarely visited and rarely fished portion of the lower Sacramento River, south of the portions of the river served by the guides from the Fly Shop in Redding and just north of Red Bluff. Regions Jason has guided include the Bristol Bay region of Alaska and the Trinity, American, Feather and Sacramento Rivers of Northern, CA. He believes in the “local guide, local knowledge” ideal which means he is intimately familiar with the local fish’s life-cycle, habits, habitat, defining traits, and proven, as well as, experimental methods of take. He has the skills, tools, and knowledge to put anglers in the best possible situation for having a successful, comfortable, safe, and
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entertaining river fishing adventure. Jason is married to his wife Holly and they have a daughter, Claire. They make their home on the banks of the Sacramento River north of Red Bluff with Jason guiding full-time and Holly working as a registered nurse.
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the pit river:
At the James Black Powerhouse By Michael Malekos
Warning: The wading can be tough. Very tough.
Same as it Ever Was
I didn’t realize I was in trouble until I approached the center of the river. I positioned myself against the current in as narrow a profile as possible, took deliberate steps, and did not proceed until I had solid footing. Regardless of my efforts, the strength of the current was too much for me. Before I took another step, the rocks and gravel beneath my feet washed out, and just as suddenly, I was whisked away. Welcome to the Pit River!
I first fished the Pit River in 1982. At the time, I was an employee of PG&E and learned of it while researching company hydrofacility maps. When I finally got a chance to visit the river, I became fascinated with the water upstream from the Pit 5 and James Black Powerhouses. The trout I caught there were consistently enormous, my largest a 28-inch rainbow. Friends and I would leave San Francisco Friday after work, arrive, roll out our sleeping bags next to the river, awake at sunrise, and fish all day. Come the next Friday, we’d do it again. The fishing trips were productive; time after time, they resulted in day-long catches of what we fondly referred to as football-size wild rainbow trout 18 to 23 inches in length. The Pit became my number one trout-fishing destination and in some respect still is. Much has been written about how the Pit River has changed over the years. Modifications made to the river by PG&E and increased flows have eliminated my favorite pocket water and pools. Still, new formations exist in the river where fishing is just as productive. Additionally, a 2014 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission fish-monitoring report confirmed what I already knew: this section of The Pit River, where trout can be large, but the wading is tough.
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THE IRIDEUS - JUNE 2020
Release of a football-sized rainbow trout during a trip to the Pit 5 reach
river is special. According to the study, surveys of catchable trout conducted by professional guides in the Pit 3, 4, and 5 reaches suggested that the Pit 5 Reach typically yields the largest trout. This is what keeps me and other anglers coming back. The river is strong, healthy, and challenging to wade, but definitely worth the effort. Technique Almost all of my fishing on the Pit is with Nymphs, and my favorite is a black Rubber-Legs Stonefly. Price Nymphs and black APs are also excellent choices. My outfit consists of a 9-foot 6-weight fly rod with nine-foot leader. Success comes by high- sticking, heavily weighting your fly and getting it down deep. I begin my day
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fishing under the bridge near the James Black Powerhouse and then work my way carefully upstream. The river is made up of almost unlimited water pockets and pools to explore. Come prepared. I fish the Pit with a solid wading staff and cleats, and I affix a pair of soccer shin guards to the outside of my waders to soften contact with large rocks. The shin guards also play an important part when landing a fish. Due to the combined strength of the fish and the current, once a fish is hooked, an angler will often have to walk with it to avoid being broken off. Shin guards lessen the inevitable rock abrasions that occur because you are concentrating on landing your fish, not necessarily watching where you are going.
THE IRIDEUS - JUNE 2020
If You Go . . . Pit 5 and the James Black Powerhouse are approximately 60 miles east of Redding. From Highway 299, turn left onto Big Bend Road. Take Big Bend Road 14 miles until it intersects with Pit 5 Powerhouse Road. Turn left onto Pit 5 Powerhouse Road and proceed approximately 4 miles. At the river and to the right, just before crossing the bridge, there is a dirt road that will deliver you to the old Pit school site. Take it and look to the left for what appears to be an
old playground. Park on the asphalt. Remnants of paint outlining a basketball court are still visible. Anglers should avoid fishing the flat-water sections of the river, because these tend to be habitat for large concentrations of pikeminnows and hardheads. And as with most rivers, anglers who fish adjacent to easy access points or close to parking areas are entering highly pressured waters. Fishing these locations tends to be less rewarding.
Left: Adventerous anglers can be rewarded. A salmonsized rainbow trout caught adjacent to PG&E’s James Black Powerhouse
Right: A beautiful and health Pit River rainbow trout.
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